One cooling system for heat-dissipating components comprises fluids that evaporate or boil. The vapor produced is then condensed using external means and returned back to the boiler. To improve heat transfer of the fluid at the boiler, a porous boiling surface can be used.
A variety of porous boiling surfaces are available, including, for example, coatings made by flame or plasma spraying. With these processes, it can be difficult to control porosity and evenly coat three-dimensional substrates. Other known coatings comprise conductive particles joined with organic binders. These coatings generally have poor bulk thermal conductivity and therefore require precise thickness control that is difficult on substrates with three-dimensional surfaces.
As integrated circuits and other heat dissipating electronic devices become more powerful and compact, the rate of heat transfer away from these heat-dissipating components needs to be increased. Accordingly, there is a continuing need to develop porous boiling surfaces with high heat transfer coefficients. Further, there is a continuing need for inexpensive porous boiling surfaces that can be easily applied in a manufacturing process.